Landscapes and soils of the Lake Grace district

More photographs and descriptions that will help you to identify indicator vegetation follow.

Brown mallet (E. astringens) is common in the west of the district below breakaways on poorly structured mottled zone soils (‘mallet’ soils), and may occur on gravels with silver and blue mallets. Blue mallet (E. gardneri) often occurs with silver mallet, mainly on mafic stony uplands. It has similar bark to brown mallet, but has distinctive dull blue-green leaves.

Blue mallet (brown scaly bark, dull blue-green Brown mallet (brown scaly bark and glossy green leaves) with silver mallet leaves)

The Lake Grace district has three types of wandoo. All have dull leaves and smooth stems. Wandoo (E. wandoo) is a tree found on sandy duplex soils in the west of the district. Inland wandoo (E. capillosa) is found mainly in the north on gritty and sandy duplex pallid zone soils as a tree form (subsp. capillosa) or very shallow pallid zone soils as a mallee (subsp. polyclada). Left: E. capillosa bud

Wandoo Inland wandoo Mallee wandoo

21 April 2011

Gimlet (E. salubris) is a mallet that occurs with salmon Moort (E. platypus) is a mallet that usually grows in gums on valley clays, and with merrit on upland mafic single species clumps in the south. rocky soils. Moorts usually indicate poorly structured shallow duplexes, often formed from pallid zone. Acidic moort soils occur on dissected laterite uplands. Alkaline variants are more common on lower slopes and tributary valleys.

York gum (E. loxophleba) has three subspecies and an intergrade form in the Lake Grace district. They all have characteristic shiny green leaves but differ in their form and bark characteristics: • Ssp. loxophleba (tree with rough bark) occurs on loamy soils formed from fresh rock, usually with jam (Acacia acuminata), and is the most common form in the western part of the district. Note that the rough bark changes to smooth further up the branches. • Ssp. lissophloia is a smooth-barked mallee that occurs mainly at Kulin and further north in valleys generally on loams or loamy duplex soils and often with salmon gum and gimlet. • Ssp. gratiae is similar to ssp. lissophloia but has larger buds and fruit and tends to be more common further south. Bark colour in both mallees ranges from pale pink to bronze/red. • The tree/mallee intergrade form has a stocking bark and is common on loams and loamy duplex formed from mafic rock in the west of the district.

York gum tree form Mallee forms Intergrade form E. loxophleba types

22 Landscapes and soils of the Lake Grace district

Several species of trees with a stocking of rough bark occur on alkaline valley soils and could be mistaken for York gum. Floral differences are shown on the next page.

Red morrel (E. longicornis) indicates calcareous loamy soils with abundant lime and other salts. It occurs on aeolian ‘fluffy’ loams near major valleys and mafic red-brown loams or loamy gravels.

Kondinin blackbutt (E. kondininensis) occurs on well-drained naturally saline aeolian soils. This is usually the main eucalypt that is closest to salt lakes.

Snap and rattle (E. myriadena syn Beard; E. ovularis) occurs on red-brown alkaline soils and is more common than York gum near salt lakes.

Flat-topped yate (E. occidentalis) occurs south of Pingrup on winter wet soils and waterways.

Red morrel on calcareous soil Kondinin blackbutt adjoin a salt lake

23 April 2011

Snap and rattle adjoin a salt lake Flat-topped yate

Guide to the most common rough-bark eucalypts

Buds Fruit Mostly in fresh winter wet areas in the south of Flat-topped yate (mallet) the district. Rough bark with ivory-coloured E. occidentalis upper smooth bark branches. Kondinin blackbutt Mostly near salt lakes. Rough ‘stocking’ bark. (mallet) Copper-coloured upper smooth-bark branches E. kondininensis

Aeolian loams and mafic soils. Rough bark on Red morrel (tree) whole trunk. Copper-coloured upper smooth- E. longicornis bark branches Rocky soils and loamy duplex valleys. It York gum (tree form) usually has branches lower on the trunk and E. loxophleba coarser bark than red morrel. Greenish to copper smooth bark. Occurs on red-brown alkaline soils with York gum, and is more common near salt lakes. Snap and rattle (tree) It looks similar to York gum, but has narrower E. myriadena leaves, more delicate buds and tightly held rough bark.

Mallees are the most common type in the district. There are dozens of species that are often intermixed. Apart from a few easily identifiable species such as blue mallee (E. pleurocarpa), they are difficult to identify without species identification keys. Soils often occur in mosaics that merge into each other with several species of mallee on each soil type, although there is still a trend towards lateritic soils on rises and alkaline duplexes in valleys. There is a good relationship between type (Proteaceous or myrtaceous), size and diversity of understorey below the mallees and soil properties, but species combinations vary.

Broad guide to trends in eucalypt understorey with soil type

Mallees with sandplain Mallets or mallee with understorey species such as sparse, few species, , chittick, roadside melaleuca understorey tea tree Poorly structured shallow Mallee understorey duplex or clay soil Deep grey sand, gravelly becomes more sand over clay diverse as depth to

clay increases Mallee with proteaceous and and soils are better tamma understorey Eucalypts with a dense drained melaleuca understorey Sandy gravel, sand over gravel over clay, loamy Alkaline calcareous valley gravels, shallow gravels shallow duplex soils or alkaline mafic uplands

24 Landscapes and soils of the Lake Grace district

Mallees with sparse or prickly understorey

Low prickly melaleuca understorey on Hard-setting loam on a quartz dyke hard-setting shallow duplex near Hyden

Melaleuca coronicarpa is one of the prickly species found on poorly structured and shallow soils with moort thickets in the south of the district.

Eucalypts with tall melalauca understorey Eucalypts with tall melalauca understorey types are found on mafic upland duplex and valley loamy duplex soils. Eucalypts include salmon gum, merrit, gimlet, E. extensa, and mallees (particularly E. annulata which is the mallee equivalent of the mallet (E. tenera), with dense melaleuca understorey.

E. extensa mallet on hard-setting brown loamy duplex. Two-tiered mallee melaleuca scrub on an alkaline It may be mistaken for gimlet but has, different buds, shallow sandy duplex valley soil darker bark and no stem twisting. (E. annulata, E calycogona, E. pileata)

Melaleuca eleuterostachya is a common species on these soils.

25 April 2011

Mallees with melaleuca-dominant understorey on alkaline grey sandy duplex soils

30-cm grey sand over clay on lower slope 15-cm grey sand over clay on valley edge

Bluebush (Maireana brevifolia) density increasing as the soil changes from duplex gravel to alkaline duplex.

Bluebush is a common volunteer species on alkaline shallow duplex, often found on soil road verges.

Mallee heath on shallow gravel over clay soils Duplex gravel with clay within 30–40 cm are common in the south of the district. The shrub understorey has mixed species but only scattered (usually ).

Melaleucas

Scattered hakeas

Blue mallee (E. pleurocarpa) Sword sedge (Lepidoderma indicates better drained areas sp.) is common on sandy (often with 50+ cm to clay). surfaced soils.

26 Landscapes and soils of the Lake Grace district

Mallee grey deep sandy duplex soils Vegetation on these soils is mallee with a dense shrub understorey.

Well-drained soils often have a wide range of understorey species and forms. Proteaceae are a minor component except on gravelly variants. Often with 30–40 cm sand over clay, these soils are common on gentle slopes, and below rock outcrops.

Melaleucas are the dominant shrubs on valley/lower slope soils.

Deep sandy duplex flat south of Lake King. The white Grey deep sandy duplex with mixed species spots are mounds of sand brought up by ants. understorey

Melaleucas are widespread, but are dominant on wetlands and as understorey plants under eucalypts in clay, duplex, alkaline and poorly structured soils. Booree M. pauperiflora (left) is common on heavy salt lake wetlands.

The broombush types of melaleucas (e.g. M. acuminata, M. lateriflora, and M. uncinata group) are common, particularly on igneous rock soils and sandy duplexes.

M. uncinata on shallow granitic soil with York gum Dense M. lateriflora heath on Lake Bryde floodplain mallee

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April 2011

Mallee grey deep loose sandy duplex soils

Such soils (> 50 cm sand) have sandplain mallees with grey sandplain understorey plants such as tea trees, banksias, chittick, and cabbage .

Blue mallee with media–tea tree understorey E. phaenophylla mallee with cabbage hakea and south of Pingrup roadside tea tree understorey at Tarin Rock

The plants below are common on grey sandy or gravelly sand soils. With the exception of roadside tea tree (Myrtaceae), they belong to the Proteaceae family.

Roadside tea tree Chittick Woolly bush (Leptospermum erubescens) (Lamberta inermis) ( sericea)

Woolly banksia Fan-leaf hakea Cabbage hakea () (Hakea browneii) ()

28 Landscapes and soils of the Lake Grace district

Proteaceous species are major components of lateritic and sandy heaths, and as understorey species are a good guide to distinguishing mallee duplex gravels from other duplexes. Banksias are generally a good guide to sandy gravel and deep sandy soils. are noticeable in lower rainfall sandplain heath, particularly yellow sand over gravel, but also occur on other well-drained upland soils. Hakeas are widespread, but are very common on sandy gravel to shallow and loamy gravel soils with dryandras. They have similar flowers to grevilleas, but have a woody fruit. Dryandras (now in the Banksia genus), with their prickly vegetation, are a noticeable feature of shallow gravel and sandy gravel soils.

Flame (Grevillea Hookers grevillea (Grevillea occurs on mafic eriostachya) occurs on deep loamy hookeriana) occurs on yellow shallow ironstone soils with sands. sandy gravels/sand over gravel. mallees and mallets.

Sphere banksia (Banksia Prickly dryandra (, left) and (right) are sphaerocarpa) is a common shrub typical of dryandras that are common on gravelly (often shallow) soils, on sands, sandy gravels. and sand over gravel soils.

Prickly Proteaceae-rich vegetation on pale sandy gravel plains (left) and yellow-brown sandy gravel plains (right)

29 April 2011

Tammas (mainly shrubs) and sheoaks (small trees) have needle-type foliage with separate male (pollen) and female (‘nut’) plants. Black tamma (Allocasuarina acutivalvis) occurs mainly on mafic and yellow stony and shallow gravels. The most common tamma (Allocasuarina campestris) occurs with black tamma, but tends to be more common in deeper or loamier gravels and yellow earths. It becomes very common in gravelly rises in yellow lateritic sandplain in the Hyden area. Allocasuarina corniculata is a less common tamma that also occurs on gravelly soils. Compass bush (Allocasuarina pinaster) occurs in grey and pale yellow sand over gravel banksia/tea tree heath. Rock sheoak (not shown, Allocasuarina huegeliana) is widespread in the adjacent Narrogin and Katanning districts, but is limited to deep grey sandy surfaced soils or around granite outcrops in the west of the district.

Tamma Black tamma Compass bush

Allocasuarina Mafic gravel with tamma/hakea Tamma on shallow gravel at North Hyden corniculata heath at Tarin Rock

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Landscapes and soils of the Lake Grace district

Cypress pines (Callitris spp.) are scattered in well-drained soils of the district. Bright green Callitris preissii is common on yellow sandplain, but is also scattered through deep sandy duplex and other well-drained soils. Silver-grey Callitris canescens tends to be more common on shallower soils and is frequently found on breakaways.

Below are cypress pines and black tamma on a yellow loamy sand gravel/sandy earth slope at Karlgarin.

The next photographs show differing vegetation types on deep sandy areas.

Flame grevillea, tussock grass and sandplain heath

Cypress pine and sandplain heath

Pale then yellow sand over gravel at Lake Grace Yellow sandplain south-east of Kulin

Broombush, cypress pine and sword sedge Mainly acacias, hakeas, grevilleas

Yellow sandy earth east of Hyden Yellow sand over ironstone at Holt Rock

31 April 2011

Soil field texture guide The texture of a soil reflects the size distribution of mineral particles finer than 2 mm. If your soil sample is gravelly, remove the gravel by sieving.

Step 1 Take an amount of soil that will sit comfortably in the palm of your hand from the layer of soil to be textured.

Step 2 Form a bolus (ball) of soil by moistening the sample with water and kneading it.

Step 3 Knead the soil for 1–2 minutes while adding more water or soil until it just fails to stick to the fingers. The soil is now ready for shearing (ribboning). Note how the bolus feels when kneading it.

Step 4 Press out the soil between the thumb and forefinger to form a ribbon. The ribbon should be only 2–3 mm thick.

The behaviour of the bolus and of the ribbon determines the field texture. Note: Do not decide texture solely on the length of the ribbon.

Table 1 Soil texture groups

Texture Subgroup Behaviour of bolus and ribbon group Plastic bolus like putty, smooth to touch, becomes stiffer as clay CLAY All clays increases, forms ribbon of 50–75 mm or more Coherent plastic bolus, smooth to manipulate, forms ribbon of Clay loam 40–50 mm Sandy clay loam Coherent bolus, feels sandy, forms ribbon of 25–40 mm LOAM Coherent bolus, feels smooth and spongy, forms ribbon of about Loam 25 mm Weakly coherent bolus, feels sandy, ribbon of 15–25 mm. Sand Sandy loam grains may be visible Clay stain on fingers, very slightly coherent bolus, ribbon of Clayey sand 5–15 mm SAND Very slightly coherent bolus, dark staining of fingers, minimal Loamy sand ribbon of about 5 mm Sand Cannot form a bolus, non-coherent

32 Landscapes and soils of the Lake Grace district

Common soils of the Lake Grace district

The following soil information sheets provide a guide to the major soils of this district, and contain brief soil capability and land use information. Each soil is identified by three characteristics: (1) common name (2) one or more Western Australian soil groups and (3) soil series. Coloured photographs of representative soil profiles are designed to aid identification.

The common name reflects natural soil units with broadly similar management characteristics.

Soil groups provide standard names for soils in with emphasis on specific management characteristics that can vary rapidly across a field. They were developed to provide a simple way to recognise common soils across district boundaries (Schoknecht 2005).

Soils series in the district are limited to a survey of an area adjoining the main lake chain from Lake King to Hyden (Teakle et al.1940). Soil series from adjoining districts have been used to describe soils that were not identified in this survey. These are identified by the following abbreviations: KA Katanning (Percy 2000), JE Jerramungup (Overheu 1995, 1996); MD Merredin (Bettenay and Hingston 1964); NO Northam (Lantzke and Fulton 1993).

Images of individual soils are point examples that are part of a continual change from one soil to another, although there is usually a pattern of soils that tend to appear together. For example:

• Well-drained upland soils formed on mafic rock are generally brown to red-brown with higher clay content. Soils vary from shallow to loamy gravels to loam, duplexes and clays that are usually alkaline and calcareous.

• Lateritic soils formed on granites/granitic gneisses in the north/north-east of the district resemble the eastern wheatbelt sandplain, with a general pattern of tamma yellowish shallow and duplex gravels on ridges above yellow deep loamy sands and sandy earths.

• Lateritic soils formed on granites/granitic gneisses in the west of the district are frequently yellow-orange to pale shallow gravels and deep sandy gravels with grey gravelly sand and deep sand in hollows.

• Lateritic soils on the subdued landscape south of Lake Grace are mostly duplex gravels that are very variable and are often intimately intermixed with sandy duplex and deep sand soils.

33 April 2011

Gravelly and sandy surfaced,soils

> 20% gravel YES Shallow sandy gravel in top 30 cm over mottled clay, or soil? Shallow Grey yellow gravelly sand shallow gravelly sand NO Loamy gravel gravel surface over sand/loamy over gravel over clay page 36 page 37 sand gravel Duplex sandy gravel

Sandy gravel page 38 page 39

Deep sand, Hard-setting deep yellow loamy sand or loamy sand sand over > 80 cm pale sand grading to a loam that may have gravel or reticulite gravel over gravel or clay Yellow sandy earth Deep pale sand page 42 page 41

Soils formed from granite Granitic sandy surfaced soils page 43 outcrops

Sand Alkaline shallow sandy duplexes over in valleys and lower slopes, or clay upland shallow poorly structured sandy duplex (often breakaway) About 30–80 cm sand over clay or upper slope landscape > 20cm sand over sandy gravel over clay Shallow sandy duplex Grey deep sandy duplex page 45 page 47

Loam to clay soils

Grey-brown to red-brown ‘fluffy’ calcareous loams ‘lake bank country’ Morrel-blackbutt soils page 49

Red-brown soils with heavy alkaline and often calcareous Red-brown subsoils loams and clays Red-brown heavy soils page 50

Poorly structured clays and very shallow duplexes. Subsoils can be acidic (usually upper slopes, Loams and breakaway pediments), or clays with alkaline (often mid lower light Salmon gum alkaline Mallee loamy duplex with sodic slopes) coloured calcareous valley loamy subsoils often with lime nodules. Moort-mallee clay page 54 subsoils duplex Can be well or poorly structured Salmon gum grey valley Mallee shallow loamy duplex soils page 52 soils page 53

34 Landscapes and soils of the Lake Grace district

Annual pasture legumes for common soils in the Lake Grace district

This table is a general guide only for soil type adaptation. Check species and varietal information. These can be found in Pasture legumes for temperate farming systems: the ute guide.

0 1 2 3 4 Suited to some Unsuitable Poorly suited Moderately suitable Very suitable situations or soils

clover clover Barrel medic medic Yellow French Sphere Bladder Eastern Balansa Biserrula serradella serradella Subclover star clover Burr medic

Loamy gravel 4 2 3–4 3–4 4 0 2–3 2–3 3 3

Shallow gravel 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 1

Sandy gravel 2–3 0 2 2 3 0 1 2 3–4 3–4

Duplex sandy gravel 3–4 2 2 2 3 0 2 2 3 3

Pale deep sand 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2–3 2–3

Yellow sandy earth 3 1 2 2 4 0 2 0 4 4

Granitic sandy 3–4 2 2–3 2–3 3–4 1 2–3 2–3 3–4 3–4 surfaced soils

Grey deep sandy 2–3 1 2 2 2 0 1 2 3 3 duplex

Shallow sandy duplex 3 2 3–4 2–4 1 2 2 2 2 1

Morrel-blackbutt soils 2 1 2 2 1 3–4 3–4 3–4 0 0

Red-brown heavy soils 2 2 4 4 2 4 4 4 1 1

Salmon gum grey 2 2 4 2 1 2 4 4 1 1 valley soil

Mallee shallow loamy 2 2 3–4 2 1 1 3 2 1 1 duplex soil

Moort-mallee clay 1 1 2–3 2–3 1 1 3 2 1 1

1. Balansa clover is suited to winter wet areas. 2. Perennial pastures such as lucerne and saltbush are suited to some soils, but suitability is also determined by other factors such as position in the landscape. More information is available from the Evergreen Group: www.evergreen.asn.au

35 April 2011

Loamy gravel WA soil group: loamy gravel

These are mafic gravels that often occur in relatively small areas in association with shallow ironstone and red-brown heavy soils. They are more common in the north and west of the district.

Soil series: Cumming series (KA)

Vegetation: Tamma scrub, mallee-tamma scrub, blue mallet

Acidity Moderate risk. Mildly acidic but moderate buffering capacity Soil structure Deep firm to hard-setting loamy gravel topsoil with abundant gravel pebbles over reticulate ironstone or clay Water repellence Low to moderate risk Waterlogging Low risk Water erosion Moderate risk as they tend to occur on uplands and can initiate run-off and erosion downslope Wind erosion Low risk Water availability Moderately-low to moderate, depending on clay content and amount of gravel in profile Plant rooting depth Moderate but variable Other High phosphate retention index, and manganese deficiency in cereals may be a problem Cereals Moderate to moderately high yield potential Canola Moderate yield potential Grain legumes Field peas. Narrow leaf lupins are grown but yield is variable Pastures See page 35

Very gravelly soils with a mildly acidic sandy loam matrix that grades to a mildly acidic to neutral gravelly clay loam to clay. Alkaline clays may be present at depth.

36 Landscapes and soils of the Lake Grace district

Shallow gravel WA soil group: shallow gravel This category covers a range of lateritic gravelly soils with less than 80 cm gravel or friable reticulite over dense ironstone. It is usually found on breakaways, crests, and ridges and upper slopes, and often grades into deeper lateritic sandy and gravelly soils. Yellow to brown sandy gravels are most common, but shallow loamy gravel, pale sandy gravel or sand over reticulite also occurs.

Soil series: Carmody series (LG)

Native vegetation: Tamma, mallet (particularly silver mallet) thicket, dense prickly heath

Acidity Moderate risk Soil structure Generally loose or hard-setting sandy or loamy gravel over impermeable reticulite ironstone Water repellence Moderate to high risk Waterlogging Low risk Water erosion Moderate risk, but as they tend to occur on uplands they can initiate run-off and erosion downslope Wind erosion Low risk Water availability Generally low but variable due to variable topsoil texture, depth of gravel, and reticulite water-holding and root-penetration features Plant rooting depth Generally shallow but variable due to variable depth of gravel over reticulite;, but some plant roots can travel down old root channels and cracks in reticulite Cereals Moderate to poor, depending on depth to ironstone and cracks in ironstone Canola Poor Grain legumes Not suitable for most; moderately low yield potential for narrow leaf lupins Pastures See page 35

Mafic ironstone ridge

Shallow gravel examples

37 April 2011

Deep sandy gravel WA soil group: shallow gravel

These are mainly yellow or brown sandy gravels on uplands in association with shallow gravels, generally north and east of Lake Grace. Grey sandy gravels are less common and tend to occur more south and west of Lake Grace.

Soil series: Carmody series (LG)

Vegetation: Proteaceae heath and tamma, often with scattered sandplain mallees

Acidity High. Originally mildly acidic, but have moderately high acidification rate due to high leaching sandy matrix soils Soil structure Loose to firm topsoils with friable very gravelly subsoils Water repellence Very susceptible Waterlogging Not a problem Water erosion Winter moderately low, summer moderate Wind erosion Moderate to low Water availability Moderately low Plant rooting depth Deep Cereals Moderately low to moderate, depending on soil texture Canola Moderately low to moderate, depending on soil texture Grain legumes Moderate narrow leaf lupin yield potential Pastures See page 35

Sandy gravel mostly have increasing gravel and clay content at depth, usually overlying dense reticulate.

The soil on the left has more gravel and lower clay content than that on the far left.

38 Landscapes and soils of the Lake Grace district

Duplex sandy gravel WA soil group: duplex sandy gravel

These soils are characterised by 30–80 cm of (generally pale to yellowish brown) sandy gravel that changes abruptly to a mottled pale or yellowish clay loam or sandy clay that may be gravelly in the upper layer. The top 15 cm may be a sand or gravelly sand which can become deeper as they merge into sandy duplex (including sand over gravel over clay) soils. These soils are the most common lateritic soils south and west of Lake Grace, particularly near Pingrup where they are intermixed with grey duplex soils. In the north and east of the district, there is a trend into tamma yellow loamy sand duplex gravels intermixed with yellow shallow gravels, sandy gravels and sandy earths. These gravels are similar to the Merredin Ulva series, but tend to be less acidic.

Soil series; Wahkinup (KA), Ulva (MD), Koornong (Jerramungup) series

Vegetation: Dominant vegetation in south and central areas is mallee with a mixed-species shrub understorey. Shallow gravelly duplexes have a mainly melaleuca understorey. More Proteaceae occur as the clay becomes deeper and more permeable. Yellow duplex gravels in the north/north-east frequently have tamma dominant vegetation, intermixed with sandplain mallees and other species.

Acidity Moderate to high risk Soil structure Firm setting to loose surfaced soil. Moderately low risk of traffic pans Water repellence Susceptible to very susceptible Waterlogging Low to moderate on soils with shallow depth to clay layer and dense clay subsoil to south and west. Otherwise low Water erosion Moderate to low risk Wind erosion Moderately low risk Water availability Moderately low to moderate. Water repellence early in growing season can cause patchy water availability on low clay topsoils Plant rooting depth Moderate to low, depending on clay and gravel content, depth to clay, and ability of roots to penetrate subsoil. Soils with reticulite clay loam subsoils and those with deeper depth to the clay layer tend to allow deeper root growth and are less prone to waterlogging than those with shallow and dense sodic clays

Other In the south of the district, these are some of the most consistently productive soils over a range of seasons Cereals Moderate to moderately high yield potential Canola Moderate yield potential Grain legumes Narrow leaf lupins Pastures See page 35

The photographs on the next page depict gravel profiles with characteristic vegetation.

39 April 2011

Soil surface Yellow-brown duplex gravel Sandy gravel

Gravelly clay loam

Mottled clay

Grey duplex gravel Common duplex gravel profile. Note the characteristic mallee .heath with melaleuca and scattered hakea understorey.

40 Landscapes and soils of the Lake Grace district

Pale deep sand WA soil group: pale deep sand

These soils can be broadly divided into two types: 1. Deep often coarse sand often over gravel or reticulite or near granite outcrops that occur throughout the district, usually on slopes or hollows on uplands. 2. Deep sandy aeolian deposits beside salt lake chains, and in pockets with deep sandy duplex soils, mainly south of Lake Grace.

Soil series: Philips series (NO, white sand), Eaton series (NO, pale yellow sand)

Vegetation: Typically tall heath, sometimes with scattered sandplain mallees. Rock sheoak and Christmas tree can occur in areas

Acidity High risk due to high acidification rate, low productivity, high leaching, very low buffering capacity, and acidic pH Soil structure Sandy and loose throughout profile Water repellence Extremely susceptible Waterlogging Not a problem Water erosion Low risk, run-off can occur from heavy rain on dry water-repellent soils Wind erosion Very high risk Water availability Low to very low Plant rooting depth Deep Other Nutrient leaching is a problem. Soaks may occur further downslope Cereals Very low potential Canola Very low potential Grain legumes Narrow leaf lupins: low to moderate yield potential if potassium is applied Pastures Serradellas: low to moderate yield potential if potassium is applied. Often planted to perennials such as tagasaste, perennial grasses and maritime pine

0 cm A1 Loose grey to light grey medium to A1 coarse grained loose sand 10

A2 20

30 A2 White to pale yellow medium to coarse grained sand 40

50

60 B White to pale yellow medium to 70 coarse grained sand with large ironstone gravel 80 Note: this layer is not always present

B 90

41 April 2011

Yellow sandy earth WA soil groups: yellow sandy earth; brown sandy earth, deep yellow sand

These soils are good quality, yellow sandplain often with ironstone gravel at depth. They are most common in the north and east of the district and often occur with shallow and sandy gravels. Smaller areas occur in aeolian sandplain and colluvium below mafic gravels further west. These soils include deep loamy sands grading to sandy loam with depth (yellow and brown earths), and yellow loamy sand soils that have increasing clay content with depth, and a reticulite or gravelly layer deeper than 30 cm that can be dense or permeable. They do not include lower clay aeolian banksia deep yellow sands that adjoin major valleys more common to the west of the district.

Soil series: Wyola (NO), Ejanding (NO), Norpa (MD) series

Vegetation: Dense Proteaceae (particularly grevilleas and hakeas) and tamma heath that often contains callitris pines, sandplain mallees and acacias

Acidity High risk due to high acidification rate and acidic pH Soil structure Firm setting surface. Very susceptible to traffic pan formation. Deep ripping gives a marked growth response in cereal crops and yield responses, except in dry years Water repellence Susceptible Waterlogging No problem Water erosion Moderate to low risk but hard-setting and can have run-off, particularly on tracks. Can be compacted into roaded catchments Wind erosion Moderate to high, depending on texture Water availability Generally medium Plant rooting depth Deep Cereals High. Reliable soils over a range of seasons Canola Moderate to high potential; soil acidity may reduce yields Grain legumes Narrow leaf lupins: high yield potential Pastures See page 35 Three variants of this soil type are shown below.

Gradational loamy sand with soft gravel Gradational loamy sand Gradational loamy sand over gravel at depth over soft reticulite

42 Landscapes and soils of the Lake Grace district

Granitic sandy surfaced soils WA soil groups: grey deep and shallow sandy duplex; yellow-brown deep and shallow sandy duplex; shallow sand

These soils are most common in dissected landscapes, particularly in the Hyden area. They are very variable, reflecting differences in underlying geology and landscape formation processes, where they often are intermingled with rock outcrops and lateritic soils. Rocky red soils from mafic rocks are frequently intermixed with these soils. They generally have a sand or loamy sand surface with increasing clay or a duplex layer at varying depths (sometimes with a gravelly band) over decomposing granite or gneiss. These soils vary in pH, but generally have acidic topsoil over a mildly acidic to mildly alkaline subsoil.

Soil series: Maleballing (NO), Warup, Tarwonga (KA), Madden (LG) series

Vegetation: Tamma, broombush and York gum mallee frequently occur on shallow soils. Deeper soils have mixed vegetation that includes York gum and mallees, jam and a range of understorey shrubs.

Acidity Generally mildly acidic to neutral. Moderate to high risk due to high acidification rate (high productivity, low buffering capacity) Soil structure Loose to firm-setting gritty soils generally with well-structured subsoils Water repellence Moderately to highly susceptible Waterlogging In patches below rock outcrops or near bedrock highs due to shallow rock Water erosion Moderate risk, particularly adjacent to rock outcrops Wind erosion Generally moderate risk Water availability Moderately low to moderately high, depending on depth to rock and soil texture Plant rooting Moderate to deep depth Other Quite productive soils except for very sandy and shallow soil over rock variants Cereals Generally moderate yields Canola Moderate yields Grain legumes Narrow leaf lupins yield well on deeper soils, although patches can be waterlogged in wet years. Peas also yield well but summer wind erosion risk is high Pastures See page 35

The photographs on the next page depict a range of granitic soils.

43 April 2011

Pale deep sand Brown sandy earth Brown sandy earth 50 cm coarse grey sand over clayey (Tarwonga series) (Boyaminning series) sand grading to sandy loam at 130 cm 80 cm coarse sand, grading to sandy 90 cm loamy sand over sandy loam loam then sandy clay loam at 100 cm

Yellow brown deep sandy duplex Grey deep sandy duplex Shallow sand (Maleballing 1 series) (Warup series) (Madden sand series) 20 cm brown loamy sand over 15 cm grey loamy coarse sand over Yellow-brown loamy sand over yellow-brown coarse sand with yellow light grey-brown clayey sand with weathering gneiss brown clay at 35 cm yellow brown clay at 30 cm

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